Capital One Miles [Complete Guide]

Last Updated: Dec 2025

What are Capital One Miles?

Capital One Miles are the rewards currency for eligible Capital One personal and small business credit cards. You can transfer miles to airline and hotel loyalty programs, redeem them at 1 cent per mile to cover travel purchases, or use other redemption options (covered in detail below).

If you haven’t followed the recent changes to the Capital One Miles program, you may be familiar with the statement credit function. However, the ability to transfer Capital One Miles to airlines and hotels is a somewhat recent addition.

Over the years, you’ve surely seen ads for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card that advertised the ability to earn “two miles” per dollar spent on all purchases with no blackout dates. However, until the past few years, the Venture Card was simply a 2% travel cashback card; you could only redeem Capital One “miles” to erase travel purchases — or purchase travel through Capital One — at 1 cent per point.

Then, Capital One launched new airline transfer partnerships in 2018. Even then, at best, Capital One Miles transferred to airline partners at 2 Capital One Miles to 1.5 airline miles. But, it seems that advertising the ability to earn 1.5 airline miles per dollar spent didn’t have the same ring.

However, after several transfer partner improvements in 2021, Capital One expanded its 1:1 transfer options. Those changes improved the value of miles earned with cards such as Venture and Venture X. The current partner list and transfer ratios appear below.

With these changes, Capital One Miles earns its place alongside American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Points as one of the major transferrable points programs.

What Credit Cards Earn Capital One Miles

Capital One Miles can be earned with personal and business credit cards, from the no annual fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card to premium options such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

You can also move rewards between eligible Capital One cards, which we will get to later. The cards below are examples of the miles-earning lineup.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Venture X has a $395 annual fee. Whether that works for you depends on how much you use the benefits.

This offer has now expired. See the current offer: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

The Venture X Card is currently offering the chance to earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 within your first 6 months.

Ongoing benefits of the Venture X include:

• 2X miles on other purchases; 10X on hotels and rental cars and 5X on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel.
• A $300 annual Capital One Travel credit, expiring on your next account anniversary. Purchases paid with the credit do not earn rewards.
• 10,000 anniversary miles, starting on your first anniversary.
• Primary cardholder access to Capital One Lounges and Landings and participating Priority Pass lounges. Priority Pass enrollment is required; access is subject to space availability.
• Hertz President’s Circle status after enrollment through Capital One.
• Up to $120 toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every four years when you pay the application fee with the card.
• Travel and purchase protections subject to the card’s current Guide to Benefits, terms and exclusions.
• No fee to add authorized users without lounge access. Optional lounge access has an annual fee; see the lounge-access section below.
• Guest access follows the separate rules in the lounge-access section below.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Terms apply.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Venture Card earns 2X miles on purchases and has a $95 annual fee.

Benefits of the Venture Card include:

• 2X miles on purchases.
• 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• Up to $120 toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck when you pay the application fee with the card.
• Hertz Five Star status after enrollment through Capital One.
• Travel and purchase protections subject to the card’s current Guide to Benefits, terms and exclusions.
• No foreign transaction fees.

The card no longer includes complimentary Capital One Lounge visits.
Terms apply.

Capital One Venture X Business

The Venture X Business has a $395 annual fee and no preset spending limit. That means flexible purchasing power, rather than unlimited spending; the card is designed to be paid in full.

• 2X miles on purchases.
• 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel.
• A $300 annual Capital One Business Travel credit.
• 10,000 anniversary miles, starting on your first anniversary.
• Primary cardholder access to Capital One Lounges and Landings and participating Priority Pass lounges. Priority Pass enrollment is required; access is subject to space availability.
• Up to $120 toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck when you pay the application fee with the card.
• No fee to add additional cardholders without lounge access. Optional lounge access has an annual fee; see the lounge-access section below.
• Guest access follows the separate rules in the lounge-access section below.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Terms apply.

Capital One Venture Business (formerly Spark Miles for Business)

Capital One renamed the Capital One Spark Miles for Business to Venture Business in April 2026. The current card earns 2X miles on purchases and 5X on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel. Its annual fee is $95.

• $50 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
• Up to $50 annually for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants.
• Up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years.
• Free employee cards.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Terms apply.

Capital One also renamed Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business to VentureOne Business. That card has no annual fee and earns 1.5X miles on purchases.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

One no annual fee personal card that earns Capital One Miles is the VentureOne. It earns 1.25X miles on purchases, compared with 2X on Venture and Venture X.

Despite this low earning rate, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards card could provide crucial access to the Capital One Miles program at no extra cost. New cardholders can earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending $500 within 3 months.

The card’s benefits include:

• 1.25X miles on purchases.
• 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• Travel and purchase protections vary with the issued card; check its Guide to Benefits, terms and exclusions.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Terms apply.

Combine Capital One Rewards Between Multiple Capital One Cards

If you have multiple Capital One cards, you can transfer Capital One Miles — or cashback earnings — between eligible Capital One cards. This can be useful for moving rewards from a rarely-used account to an active account.

Capital One rewards transfers also open up the possibility of converting cashback rewards into Capital One Miles. In short, there are three ways you can transfer Capital One rewards between accounts:

• From one cashback card to another cashback card.
• From one Capital One Miles card to another Capital One Miles card.
• From a cashback card to a Capital One Miles card.

It’s that third option that can be especially lucrative. The 4% example previously used here referred to the older Capital One Savor Rewards card, rather than today’s no annual fee Savor.

The current Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has no annual fee and earns 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores such as Walmart and Target), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services.

If your account lets you move those cash-back rewards to an eligible Capital One miles-earning card at $1 in cash back for 100 miles, 3% cash back becomes 3 miles per dollar. Check the conversion shown in your account before moving rewards.

How to Combine Capital One Rewards Between Accounts

The steps and screenshot below show an earlier Capital One rewards interface. Today’s labels and available options may differ. Use the options displayed in your account when moving rewards between eligible cards:

• Log into your Capital One account.
• Open the card you want to transfer from and click the “Explore Rewards” box.
• Scroll down and click the “Move Rewards” option.

• Choose an eligible card from the dropdown list.
• Enter how many rewards points you want to transfer.
• Click “Share” to process the transfer.

Capital One Rewards Transfers are Free

Some airline and hotel loyalty programs charge fees to transfer miles or points between accounts, but you don’t have to worry about that with Capital One. Capital One doesn’t charge a fee to move rewards between accounts.

Transferred Capital One Rewards and Expiration

Capital One rewards miles do not expire while your account is open and in good standing. You could lose unredeemed miles if the account is closed, inactive or no longer in good standing.

Once miles are transferred to an airline or hotel loyalty program, that program’s terms apply, including its expiration rules. Transfers cannot be reversed back into your Capital One rewards account.

Capital One Transfer Partners (Airline and Hotel)

Here are the airline transfer partners and hotel points programs to which you can transfer your Capital One miles. Capital One miles transfer to all partners at a 1:1 transfer ratio, unless noted:

Capital One Miles
	Transfer Ratio	Expected Transfer Time
Air Canada (Aeroplan)	1:1	Instant
Air France / KLM Flying Blue	1:1	Instant
Avianca Lifemiles	1:1	Instant
Aeromexico	1:1	Instant
British Airways Avios	1:1	TBD
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles	1:1	Nearly instant
Choice Hotels	1:1	1 day
Emirates Skywards	1:1	Instant
Etihad Guest	1:1	1-2 days
EVA	2:1.5	1-2 days
Finnair	1:1	Instant
JAL (Japan Airlines) Mileage Bank	2:1.5 (Account must be open for 7 days before transfer)	TBD
JetBlue	5:3	TBD
Qantas	1:1	1-2 days
Qatar Avios	1:1	TBD
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer	1:1	1-2 days
TAP Air Portugal	1:1	TBD
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles	1:1	TBD
Wyndham Rewards Hotel Program	1:1	Instant
Virgin Red	1:1	TBD
Accor Live Limitless (ALL) Hotel Program	2:1	1-2 days
I Prefer Hotel Rewards:	1:2	TBD

These transfer rates and partners haven’t always been this way. Here’s a quick MilesTalk timeline on the development of the Capital One transfer program over the past few years:

• December 2018: Capital One Miles Transfer Go Live
• February 2020: Capital One Adds Accor and Wyndham as New Transfer Partners
• April 2021: Capital One Adds New Transfer Partners; Adds 1:1 Transfer Tier
• October 2021: Capital One Improves “Miles” Transfers – Most Now 1:1
• October 2021: Capital One Loses JetBlue as a Transfer Partner
• Summer 2025: JAL added as a transfer partner (2:1.5)
• Dec 2025: JAL loses JetBlue redemptions 

Do Capital One Miles Transfer to United or Delta?

We’re often asked if you can transfer Capital One miles to United. You can’t – only Chase Ultimate Rewards [Guide] can transfer to United. Likewise, we’re asked if you can transfer Capital One Miles to Delta. Again, you cannot – only American Express Membership Rewards [Guide] can be transferred to Delta. Still, using Skyteam or Star Alliance partners, you can book flights on both Delta and United. For example, using Capital One miles transferred to Turkish to book United.

What are the Best Ways to Redeem Capital One Miles?

Capital One lists the eight ways to redeem your Capital One Miles. In descending order from most valuable to least valuable, those redemption options are:

• Transfer Capital One Miles to airline or hotel loyalty programs at the ratios shown in your account.
• Book a trip through Capital One Travel (1 cent per mile).
• Cover travel purchases recently charged to your card (1 cent per mile).

• Get gift cards (between 0.8 and 1 cent per mile).
• Redeem through PayPal (0.8 cents per mile).
• Shop with Amazon (0.8 cents per mile).
• Redeem for cash back rewards (0.5 cents per mile).

Last but not least, you can transfer rewards to another one of your Capital One accounts. You’ll get 1 Capital One mile per 1 Capital One mile transferred. Or, if your card earns cash back, you can transfer cashback earnings to another cashback card or to a miles-earning card. More on that option later.

How Much are Capital One Miles Worth?

As you can see from the above section, it’s a bit subjective and varies depending on how you choose to redeem. When used to book or be reimbursed for travel, they are worth just 1 cent, but when transferred to a partner like Turkish, you can get crazy value. On balance, we value Capital One miles at 1.6 cents each.

Sweetest Capital One Miles Sweet Spots

As mentioned above, the highest redemption value (or, the best way to redeem Capital One Miles) is found by transferring miles to airline and hotel partners.

However, unlike redeeming Capital One Miles for travel purchases at a flat rate, there’s a lot more variability to the redemption rate you can get from these redemptions. By transferring to the wrong partner or using miles for a low rate, you can end up with less than one cent per mile in value.

On the flip side, you can get multiple cents per Capital One Mile in value from the top redemption offers, which is why they are the best way to use Capital One Miles. Here are a few of the best sweet spots of Capital One Miles transfer partners:

• Wyndham Rewards hotel nights from 7,500 points per night. One-bedroom villas from 15,000 points per night (price limits apply). Or redeem as few as 3,000 points plus cash using “Go Fast” rewards.

• Flights to Tahiti for 25,500 miles each way on Air France via Flying Blue.

• Business class to Brussels for 44,000 miles each way nonstop on Brussels Airways via Etihad Guest.
• Business class to Casablanca for 44,000 miles each way nonstop on Royal Air Maroc via Etihad Guest.

What Credit Bureaus are Pulled When Applying for a Capital One Card?

Capital One is one of a few banks that may pull your credit report from all three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, Equifax) when deciding whether or not to approve you for a new card.

A new application can result in a hard inquiry even if you are not approved. Checking for offers with Capital One’s eligibility tool uses a soft inquiry; accepting an offer triggers a hard inquiry that may affect your credit score. Check your credit reports after applying to see which inquiries were recorded.

Capital One Airport Lounges

One of the newest perks of Venture X and Venture X Business cards is the ability to visit Capital One Lounges. The first location in this new network of airport lounges opened in Dallas/Fort Worth in November 2021.

Capital One cardholders have been blown away by the quality of this new Capital One Lounge — from fresh food and made-to-order cocktails to unique perks like an exercise room and yoga studio.

Capital One Lounge Locations and Hours

Capital One’s lounge network has expanded beyond its first location. Lounge locations include Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Denver (DEN), Washington Dulles (IAD), Las Vegas (LAS) and New York (JFK). Check Capital One’s current listings for hours and entry requirements before visiting.

Capital One Lounge Access

Venture X and Venture X Business primary cardholders receive complimentary Capital One Lounge and Landing access. Adding a cardholder is free; optional lounge access for each additional cardholder costs $125 annually.

• Guests cost $45 for adults and $25 for ages 2-17; children under two are free.
• $75,000 in calendar-year account spending gives eligible primary and paid additional cardholders two complimentary Lounge guests and one Landing guest per visit, valid through the following year and January 31 afterward.
• Other visitors pay $90 per visit. DFW pass purchases are restricted to Capital One credit cardholders.

Priority Pass requires enrollment and has separate guest rules. Personal Venture X guests cost $35 each per visit. Eligible Venture X Business cardholders receive two complimentary guests per visit, with additional guests at $35 each. Access is subject to space availability. Terms apply.

Advanced Strategy: Spend on Spark Cash Plus; Convert Cashback to Capital One Miles

If you’re a big spender, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus is worth a closer look. The Spark Cash Plus earns 2% cash back on purchases.

Unlike some Capital One credit cards, the Spark Cash Plus has no preset spending limit. Your purchasing power adjusts with spending, payment history and credit profile, and the card is designed to be paid in full.

For background, see my earlier article on Spark Cash Plus and personal credit reporting. Application inquiries and ongoing account reporting are separate issues; confirm the current terms before relying on a reporting policy.

If your account allows it, you can move cash back to an eligible miles-earning card, such as the Venture Card, Venture X, or Venture Business (formerly Spark Miles for Business). At a displayed conversion of $1 cash back to 100 miles, 2% cash back becomes 2 miles per dollar. Check the conversion in your account before moving rewards.

Capital One Application Rules

You can have multiple Capital One credit card accounts, but approval depends on your credit, account history and other factors. Do not treat the older two-card limit or six-month spacing rule as universal approval rules.

Capital One’s current consumer preapproval disclosures say you may be ineligible for some products if you were recently approved for a Capital One card or have applied for a Capital One card two or more times in the past 30 days. Product and bonus eligibility terms also vary; check the exact application terms.

Preapproval: Capital One’s preapproval tool uses a soft inquiry that does not affect your credit score. Accepting a card offer triggers a hard inquiry, which may affect your score.

The example and screenshot below are from an earlier version of this guide. They describe my experience at that time, rather than a universal current approval rule.

For example, I wasn’t pre-approved for any Capital One cards as I’ve opened the Capital One Venture X card within the last six months. In my case, the pre-approval form listed the reason for my rejection as: “there is a currently pending or recently processed application with Capital One.”

Capital One Upgrades, Downgrades, and Product Changes

Product-change options depend on the offers available for your account. A product change typically keeps the existing account and does not involve a hard inquiry, but confirm the terms of your specific change. New cardholder bonuses may not apply.

Historical upgrade example from an earlier version of this guide:

This offer has now expired. See the current offer: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Capital One Venture cardholders can upgrade their card to the Venture X card. In fact, Capital One is offering some cardholders targeted offers of 50,000 bonus miles for doing so. The upside to upgrading like this is that you can avoid new credit inquiries and a new account on your credit report. However, you’ll miss out on the bonus currently being offered to new Capital One Venture X cardholders.

To ask about your available options, call the number on the back of your card. You can also check your upgrade options online.

Before upgrading or downgrading, compare the annual fee, rewards and benefits. Confirm when any fee change takes effect and whether an already-assessed fee can be refunded. Do not assume a product change will automatically reverse the annual fee.

For historical background, see my earlier Capital One downgrade discussion. Ask Capital One about the timing and refund terms for your account before making a change.

Applying for a Credit Card that Earns Capital One Miles

You can use these links:

• Capital One Venture X Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Card
• Capital One Venture X Business
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Bottom Line

It used to be the case that Capital One Miles were nothing more than points you could rebate against travel purchases. But those days are long gone as Capital One has moved full on into the transferable points space, offering a ton of flexibility in redeeming your Capital One Miles.

Questions?

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You can find credit cards that best match your spending habits and bonus categories at Your Best Credit Cards. 

New to all of this? My “introduction to miles and points” book, MilesTalk: Live Your Wildest Travel Dreams Using Miles and Points is available on Amazon and at major booksellers.